1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to toothpicks and, more specifically, to a toothpick which is rolled from a flat piece of wood or formed from plastic and having located longitudinally along its center an amount of dental floss which is accessible when the toothpick is broken and the two pieces are pulled apart.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous toothpicks designed to remove food particles from between teeth. While these toothpicks may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. It is thus desirable to provide a toothpick that contains an amount of dental floss within the frame of the toothpick.
Dental disease is caused by the accumulation of microscopic germs (bacteria) on the teeth and gums. These germs, which are always present even in healthy mouths, mix with saliva to form a transparent, sticky coating called bacterial plaque. Bacterial plaque generates acid which attacks the teeth, generally in the tiny crevices near the gum line between the teeth and the gum, resulting in tooth decay, tender and bleeding gums, foul breath, etc. The presence of bacteria alone in a disorganized state produces no harmful effects. To disorganize the bacteria daily will greatly reduce, if not eliminate, dental disease.
Dental floss, has been used to break up colonies of bacteria that gather at or near the gum line of the teeth. However, dental floss used haphazardly is not enough to completely disorganize the bacterial colonies found near the gum lines in all mouths since the gum line is not always penetrated by improper flossing.